Mrs Sturgeon said there had been a "significant and material change" to the UK that Scotland voted to remain a part of by a majority of 10% in 2014.

She also accused her past referendum rivals of telling Scots that the only way they could retain EU membership was to remain in the UK.

She said: "It is a significant and material change in circumstances - and it is therefore a statement of the obvious that the option of a second referendum must be on the table."

"I can therefore confirm today that in order to protect that position we will begin to prepare the legislation that would be required to enable a new independence referendum to take place if and when Parliament so decides," she continued.

Before the final result, she'd said: "Scotland has delivered a strong, unequivocal vote to remain in the EU, and I welcome that endorsement of our European status.

"And while the overall result remains to be delcared, the vote here makes clear that the people of Scotland see their future as part of the European Union. Scotland has contributed significantly to the Remain vote across the UK.

"That reflects the positive campaign the SNP fought, which highlighted the gains and benefits of our EU membership, and people across Scotland have responded to that positive message."

She concluded: "We await the final UK-wide result, but Scotland has spoken – and spoken decisively."

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CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION: Alex Salmond said he expected a second independence referendum now

Ex-SNP leader Alex Salmond said this morning that his party was likely to call for a second independence referendum.

"The sensible thing for Scotland to do would never be to leave the European Union," he said in an interview with Sky News.

Asked if he thought Nicola Sturgeon would now push for a second independence vote, the former first minister answered: "Yes I do".

Republican party Sinn Féin, the second biggest in the Northern Ireland assembly, today called for a vote on the reunifaction of the whole island.

Declan Kearney, a spokesman for Sinn Féin, said: "This outcome tonight dramatically changes the political landscape here in the north of Ireland and we will be intensifying our case for the calling of a border poll.

"The British government as a direct result have forfeited any mandate to represent the interests of people here in the north of Ireland in circumstances where the north is dragged out of Europe as a result of a vote to leave.

"We now have a situation where Brexit has become a further cost of partition, a further cost of the Union and Sinn Fein will now press our demand, our long standing demand, for a border poll."

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RUBBISHED: Theresa Villiers will not consider a border poll

The idea of a border poll has since been rubbished by the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers.

A campaigner for the Leave group, said she was "delighted" with the Brexit result.

She firmly stated that there was no chance of a border poll over Northern Ireland's continued membership of the UK.

Villiers said: "The Good Friday Agreement is very clear that the circumstances where the secretary of state is required to have a border poll is where there is reason to believe there would be a majority support for a united Ireland.

"There is nothing to indicate that in any of the opinion surveys that have taken place.

Villers was upbeat about the future of Northern Ireland positive about.

She told the BBC: "With common sense between us, the UK and Ireland can maintain a border which is just as open after a Brexit vote as it has been for many years."